This invention relates generally to the field of the fast paced sport of paintball and more specifically to the equipment used in the nuances of the sport; this apparatus contributes a variable bore paintball barrel connector system.
In the game of paintball, the paintball player must not only carry with him, his marker, and propellant supply, as well as any extra paintballs. He may need to use a squeegee for clearing broken balls, and many other items. The ability to perform any required task in the shortest amount of time, while being under fire by opponents in a constantly changing environment, only magnifies the need for simple quick solutions or adjustments to his equipment.
Several forms of paintball barrels with built-in compression chokes are known in the art. Known choke barrels are defined by a barrel configuration whereby a choke of a specific design is permanently incorporated into each distinct barrel and cannot be used independently of that barrel system. Likewise, choke barrels of prior art are of no use, and will either allow the gas being used as the propellant to prematurely escape around the paintball, or more often puncture the paintball if used without their specific choke installed.
As for example, choke barrels are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,003,290; 2,117,935; 5,228,427; 6,273,080; 6,295,752; and 6,494,195. However, known paintball barrels with built-in compression chokes, and the common standard barrels, which are of a predetermined bore size and do not incorporate using, or in any way integrate, any compression have several disadvantages that are solved by the present invention. A singular integrated compression choke barrel limits the user's ability to not only adapt to the constantly changing environment encountered while using a paintball marker, but also requires the user to apply some form of compression to the paintball at all times, and under all conditions. Hence, this restricts the user of an integrated choke barrel to the particular barrel design of a specific barrel manufacturers model. Any advantage that could have been gained by providing compression to the paintball may be limiting the user of the paintball marker from the ability to take full advantage of the multitude of other barrels. Other barrels can offer varying lengths, shapes, and exhaust hole configurations, or materials in their construction. These types of barrels are offered by several manufacturers and are commonly known as fixed bore barrels, that do not incorporate a compression choke into the barrel, however their specificity addresses other advantages.
A major disadvantage of the integrated type choke barrel is that a paintball, which consists of a round membrane filled with paint, may vary in size from 0.675 to over 0.690 in diameter, as measured by the manufacturer in a controlled environment. There are not only a multitude of manufacturers producing paintballs, but each often produces an array of paintball types and sizes. Paintballs are subject to constant changes in temperature or other stresses from the environment when in use. For example, if a paintball of a large caliber .690+ is being used with an integrated choke barrel and the temperature rises, the balls will expand in size this may result in a situation where the paintball no longer requires compression. The person using an integrated choke barrel must either remove the choke from its mating barrel increasing the chance of the paintball breaking due to the irregular internal shape left within the choke-integrated barrel, or continue using the integrated compression choke, which also bears the high risk of breaking paintballs, based on the increased pressures being applied to the paintball.
It is the combination of a number of different factors involved when using a paintball marker that when combined together in different degrees under each unique situation will determine the final effect on the accuracy and distance of the paintball after it leaves the marker, including: size of the paintball; amount of compression applied; length of the barrel; amount and pattern of the exhaust holes incorporated into the barrel, the propellant being used; as well as, wind, temperature of the environment or other environmental factors. Therefore, the lack of adjustability, or the requirement of having to apply some degree of constant compression to the paintball when using an integrated compression choke barrel can be a significant and limiting problem when attempting to achieve the best possible results.
In contrast to the known art, the variable bore paintball barrel connector system of the present invention is designed to be a self-contained unit so that when the one piece connector is removeably attached to the paintball marker, often referred to as a gun, and the desired compression sleeve is inserted, it will create an optional compression zone whereby the user of the paintball marker can then connect any paintball barrel of a compatible mating-design configuration. The present invention focuses soley on providing compression to the paintball, and does not provide an integrated paintball marker or barrel.
The user of the present invention can easily choose to change the amount of compression applied to the paintball and reconnect the same barrel or connect a different barrel design, i.e. length, shape or exhaust hole pattern, to the mating end of the one-piece connector, opposite the end that attaches to the marker, as necessary, depending on the situation, to optimize usage flexibility, individual preferences, or conditions. Most importantly, the present invention, by the nature of its design, allows the user the ability to just as quickly remove the entire one-piece connector and compression sleeve from the paintball marker and reconnect a barrel directly to the paintball marker thereby completely removing the optional compression zone, as required when the environment of the paintball game no longer necessitates compression be applied to the paintball.
The cross use of various manufacturers' barrels, whether or not intended to incorporate compression, is now possible, therefore having a greater selection between the assortments of barrel design configurations available for attachment to paintball markers. Despite having no standardized mating configuration between the varying manufacturers, the present invention can be adapted to accommodate for these differences.